1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a document access method, and a computer program which are used in a document management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A document management system using a database in a document management server as a backend engine has been used mainly in an office and the like. Building of a database by storing all the files used in the office allows multiple users to perform viewing, editing, using, and the like on the files from client personal computers (PC). However, since the multiple users share and use the files as described above, an inconsistency in a file might take place due to simultaneous editing by the users. To prevent such an inconsistency, the document management server often includes a system that is capable of exclusive control. Specifically, while a file is being used by some user, the file is controlled so that any other user cannot perform update processing or the like thereon.
Generally, a method of check-out and check-in of a file is employed as an exclusive control method. The check-out operation is performed to extract a file from a database for editing the file and to set the status of the file to a check-out status (an exclusive control status) in which users other than a user ordering the check-out cannot update the file. In other words, the check-out status is a status where the file is extracted from the database and only the user ordering the check-out can edit and update the file. Thus, the file is checked out, the processing target file in the database is set to the check-out status, thereby prohibiting users other than the user ordering the check-out from updating the processing target file. Thereafter, the user ordering the check-out performs operations such as editing the checked-out file, updating the processing target file in the database, and canceling the check-out status (check-in). The check-in operation is designed to transmit the edited file to the document management server, to update the corresponding file registered in the database, and to cancel the exclusive control status so that the other users can edit the file. That is, the check-in operation updates the file in the database to the latest state, cancels the check-out status, and allows the other users to perform check-out and editing on the file.
Some of document management systems capable of such check-out-check-in processing employ a simplified operation of ordering the check-out to enable an efficient editing operation on a file. Specifically, when an “Open” operation is performed on a file, the target file in the database is automatically checked out, and then an application reads the file to make the file editable. Here, the “Open” operation is executed when the user orders an “Open” option from a menu after selecting a desired file or when the user double-clicks the desired file, for example.
In addition, many of the databases of the document management servers have a version management function. The version management function makes it possible to update the version of a file by updating the file, to refer to a file of an old version, and to check the difference between the versions.
Meanwhile, the database stores a wide variety of files. Examples of the files include a presentation material, a word processor document, and a table or graph document which are respectively created by PowerPoint (registered trademark), Word (registered trademark), and Excel (registered trademark) of Microsoft Corporation. These files are often intended to be viewed or edited by users. Further, there are various types of files which are intended to be used without being edited, such as an application execution module and a short-cut file. Use of an application execution file is to execute the corresponding application, and use of a short-cut file is to view or edit the file or web page at a reference location indicated by the short-cut file. Hence, in the opening operation on a file performed for a purpose other than editing the file, the user uses “Open” (Open as read-only) without performing the check-out (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2006-48536).
However, there is no appropriate technique of determining whether or not “Open” processing performed on the file by the user is intended to edit the file. This might cause unnecessary check-out and check-in processing. Further, if the version of a file checked out but unedited is updated with updating of the file by a check-in operation following the check-out, the size of the database could be increased.